TRAVEL TO THE Greek Islands, and you will find numerous restaurants just a stone’s throw from sandy beaches, serving a large variety of fresh fish and seafood, and welcoming casually dressed diners in search of good, simply prepared, home-style food. A similar experience can also be found at the Jersey Shore.
One block inland from the beach in Long Branch, in a small strip mall on Ocean Avenue, you will discover Niko’s Trapezi, which has all of the same attributes of a taverna in Greece. This is not a designer-made, see-and-be- seen dining scene. It is an unfussy, casual, neighborhood eatery, with a large following – for good reason. Reservations are taken only for parties of six or more.
The menu is expansive and covers all of the basic Greek dishes; the cheerful and attentive staff serve up very large portions of good food on
simple white dinnerware. Everything we ordered came out steaming hot, assuring us that our food had not lingered even a minute in the kitchen before being whisked to our table, or, in Greek, trapezi.”
Jay Keating and his wife Georgia welcome diners and manage the front of the house, while brother-in-law Niko Katsilianos runs the kitchen. The family, whose ancestors hail from the seaside town of Egio, on the Peloponnese, brought with them the customs, rituals, and tastes of their homeland.
We started our dinner by sampling a number of Mezedes – appetizers, which included “Zesta” (hot) and “Kria” (cold) choices. We highly recommend the platter of Pikilia, ($15) an assortment of authentically prepared dips and spreads: taramosalata (roe caviar blended with olive oil), tzatziki (Greek yogurt with cucumber and garlic), melitzansalata (roasted egg- plant salad), and hummus (chickpea and garlic dip) served with warm pita bread. Each offered a different flavor profile and texture, from creamy to chunky, with garlic the central component.
The Htapodi (charred octopus) ($12) was a single large tentacle, tender and flavorful from the grill; we were pleasantly surprised by the Keftedakia (seasoned meatballs) ($9), served without sauce, which were moist and flavorful on their own; however, we suggest you order the Gigandes (giant lima beans in a mild tomato sauce) ($9) and enjoy them alongside the meatballs, as we did.
Salads can be served in small or large portions, but we found the smaller portions to be generous enough for two people to share. We sampled the Horiatiki (village salad with tomato, cucumber, onions, and olives) ($7/$9) and the Prasini (assorted fresh greens with dill and feta cheese) ($7/$9.) Both were refreshing and perfectly dressed with herbs and olive oil.
The menu offers special items each day. There is always a choice of one or two whole fish, and we chose the Tsipoura, described as Imported Mediterranean White Snapper ($30), a name often given to red porgy. The strong point of most Greek restaurants is charcoal grilling, and this fish lent itself well to the simple preparation, the grill yielding a smoky flavor that permeated the solid white meat of the fish. We suggest our readers forgo any offers of boning by the server and do it themselves, as it will result in fewer small pin bones left behind.
Another special was Katsikaki Kokkinisto, traditional braised goat in a red sauce served over makaronia, a hearty pasta similar to bucatini ($18). The goat meat was tender and enhanced rather than overwhelmed by the sauce. A second meat special was a braised lamb shank in sherry wine sauce ($18). The generous portion of tender lamb on the bone was covered, but not drowned, in the fragrant sauce. It is usually served with rice, but we requested a vegetable instead, a substitution gladly accommodated.
This is a BYO, so we brought two whites, one Greek, of course, and one from California. The 2012 Gaia Thalassitis, a wine from the island of Santorini, made from the native Assyrtiko grape, was a near-perfect foil for all of the seafood dishes; bone dry with a mix of honey and minerality, and a 2012 Morgado Cellars Steiner Vineyard Chardonnay, a bit bigger and riper, but with tangy tropical fruits and the same touch of honey. For reds, a 2011 Birichino
Grenache from the central coast of California was much more elegant and fruity than the 2007 Pax Obsidian Syrah, which was heavy handed and carried too much alcohol.
Niko’s Trapezi is an excellent go-to dinner destination after a day on the beach, walking the boardwalk or shopping. You will receive a warm welcome and are assured of hot, fresh food, at reasonable prices without any pretense or formality.
The Two Bobs rated Niko’s Trapezi: Good
Niko’s Trapezi
444 Ocean Blvd. N. Long Branch 732-222-4600
Bob Sacks, wine aficionado, and Bob Sickles, owner and operator of Sickles Market, will be reviewing restaurants in this bimonthly column
